Introduction
Welcome to our comprehensive guide for beginners on playing the Dark and Darker Ranger class. In this guide, we will provide you with all the essential information to kickstart your adventure in the game. The Ranger class is a formidable ranged character who also possesses melee capabilities. With a focus on using various bows to unleash devastating damage from a distance and employing utility traps to control the battlefield, the Ranger is a force to be reckoned with.
Pros
- Inflict powerful ranged damage, making you a PvE master.
- Access to impressive baseline skills that you can select from.
- Ability to utilize spears as additional weapons.
- Begin your journey with great starting gear, including formidable traps.
Cons
- Possess a very low base health pool and limited armor.
- Requires time to master due to a high skill ceiling.
- Learning the range drop-off from arrows can be challenging.
Skills
Skills in Dark and Darker define the unique abilities each class possesses. Currently, the Ranger can choose two skills from the following list to complement their preferred playstyle or build:
- Quickshot
- Multishot
- Field Ration
- Quick Fire
- True Shot
- Forceful Shot
- Penetrating Shot
Quickshot
Quickshot enables you to rapidly load and fire three arrows with a single button press, making it an incredibly potent skill.
Multishot
Multishot functions as a shotgun-like skill, firing five arrows in a cone shape. Its close-range burst damage is immense.
Field Ration
Field Ration provides exceptional sustain, instantly restoring 25 health with quick usage. Additionally, it can be utilized up to three times during a dungeon run.
Quick Fire
Quick Fire acts as a stat-boosting skill, increasing your attack speed by 50% when using a bow. This allows you to unleash a flurry of arrows within a five-second window.
True Shot
Activating True Shot significantly enhances the projectile speed of your arrows. While this skill has situational uses, its overall power remains relatively low.
Forceful Shot
When using a ranged weapon, hitting an enemy with Forceful Shot knocks them back for eight seconds.
Penetrating Shot
Penetrating Shot ignores 50% of the opponents’ projectile defense for its duration.
Skill Recommendations
For beginners and the foreseeable future, our recommendation is to go with Quickshot and Field Ration. Quickshot is an invaluable tool for dealing high DPS, easily dispatching PvE mobs, and securing satisfying PvP kills. Field Ration, on the other hand, is a straightforward yet highly effective skill for sustaining your health, making it essential for survival.
Perks
Perks in Dark and Darker grant unique passive traits to each class. Once you reach the maximum level, you can assign up to four perks. Consider the following perks for the Ranger:
- Sharpshooter: Increases headshot damage by 15%.
- Enhanced Hearing: Enhances your ability to detect nearby enemies.
- Kinesthesia: Boosts movement speed by 10% when the bowstring is drawn.
- Spear Proficiency: Allows you to wield spears and grants +10 Strength.
- Crossbow Mastery: Improves reload speed by 50% and movement speed while reloading crossbows. Also offers a 5% damage increase.
- Ranged Weapons Expert: Inflicts +5% damage with ranged weapons.
- Trap Mastery: Enables faster trap setting.
- Nimble Hands: Increases bow shooting speed by 15%.
- Chase: Detects recent enemy footsteps.
- Crippling Shot: Landing a shot on an enemy’s leg reduces their movement speed bonus by an additional 15% for 2 seconds.
- Quick Reload: Enhances bow-type weapon reload speed by 50%.
Perk Recommendations
Currently, we suggest taking Nimble Hands, Sharpshooter, Kinesthesia, and Spear Proficiency. However, when embarking on your Ranger adventure and leveling up, we recommend starting with Nimble Hands for a smoother experience.
Spells
As of now, the Ranger class in Dark and Darker does not have access to spells. However, future updates may introduce artifacts or scrolls that could potentially change this. Be sure to check back periodically for any updates!
Weapons
The Ranger class in Dark and Darker offers a wide range of weapon options, allowing for diverse playstyles. Consider the following weapons:
- Survival Bow
- Recurve Bow
- Longbow
- Spear (with Spear Proficiency)
- Crossbow
- Arming Sword
- Rapier
- Short Sword
For beginners, we recommend starting with the standard recurve bow as your primary ranged weapon and an arming sword as your backup melee weapon. As you progress and obtain better gear and bows, the longbow undoubtedly becomes the optimal choice. Keep in mind that drawing and shooting with the longbow takes longer, but the payoff is increased damage.
Once you have acquired Spear Proficiency and a spear, we highly recommend using the spear over any other melee weapon. With its superior range and decent damage, the spear stands as one of the most formidable choices for melee combat. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the Ranger class can also wield the Pavise shield!
Stat Priority
Different stats in Dark and Darker hold varying properties, making it crucial to prioritize specific stats on your gear. Consider the following stat priority:
- +All Attributes
- Agility
- Strength
- Additional Physical Damage
Obtaining gear with the +All Attributes stat is a no-brainer, as it grants additional stat points across the board, offering remarkable value. Prioritizing Agility is advisable, as it increases your movement speed and attack speed. While Strength and other stat increases are beneficial, they are not the highest priority. Additionally, look for gear that provides Additional Physical Damage, as it directly boosts your raw damage output.
How To Play Ranger
In this Dark and Darker Ranger Guide, we will focus on the fundamental aspects of playing the class. As a Ranger, your primary role is to provide heavy ranged damage support to your teammates or wreak havoc on your own. Dark and Darker is an unforgiving game, with mechanics like friendly fire in play. Hence, as a Ranger, you must exercise caution when shooting arrows.
PvE
When facing PvE mobs during your dungeon runs, standard arrow shots will suffice against most enemies. However, for larger mobs, consider utilizing Quickshot or Multishot for their burst damage potential. As a Ranger, always maintain a safe distance between yourself and the enemies.
Another useful trick is the strategic use of the Pavise shield. If you come across one or bring it with you into the dungeon, deploy it in advantageous positions. The Pavise shield can block doorways, provide elevated platforms on torches or door frames, and help you evade troublesome mobs or surprise unsuspecting adventurers.
PvP
Engaging in team fights against another trio can quickly become chaotic. As a Ranger, seize this opportunity to move swiftly and reposition yourself between shots. Doing so will grant you favorable angles to eliminate enemy players. However, if you have teammates, remember to communicate effectively, informing them of your shot placement and movement to avoid team kills. Properly timed Quickshots can instantly eliminate opponents at the start of a fight. Additionally, Quickshot can serve as a useful tool for instantly reloading your bow and firing three shots rapidly.
Solo
When playing solo, you gain a significant advantage in controlling an area and capitalizing on fights through the use of traps. Traps are a potent tool unique to the Ranger class and can be equipped and laid down strategically. Doorways are a great spot to place traps, as closing the door makes it difficult for enemies to escape the trap’s effect. In 1v1 or even 3v3 scenarios, traps can catch players off-guard, providing you with a free opening kill since they must interact with the trap to disarm it.
Always maintain a safe distance, reposition whenever possible, and remember to utilize Field Ration to quickly replenish your health during fights. Keep a close eye on your arrow count, as reloading mid-fight can put you in a disadvantageous situation. If you have a spear equipped, utilize its extended range to your advantage. With proper spacing and disengagement, you can even win melee matchups against opponents.
We hope you thoroughly enjoyed our comprehensive Dark and Darker Ranger Guide for beginners! For more class guides and exciting content, visit us here.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Dark and Darker’s next Playtest on 6th February, which promises exciting potential changes and additions discussed in our Q&A Recap.
